


Avoidance

by Jena Bartley (jenab)



Category: NCIS
Genre: Canon Compliant, M/M, Missing Scene
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2014-01-18
Updated: 2014-01-18
Packaged: 2018-01-08 19:10:49
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 566
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/1136350
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/jenab/pseuds/Jena%20Bartley
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Tony had an amazing capacity to avoid anything unpleasant he didn’t want to deal with.</p>
            </blockquote>





	Avoidance

**Author's Note:**

> For [](http://susan217.livejournal.com/profile)[**susan217**](http://susan217.livejournal.com/). Spoilers: Third season, Kill Ari Part 1&2

"Dammit, Dinozzo. What the hell am I going to do about this?"

No response. Not that Gibbs expected one. Tony was sound asleep in bed with dark shadows under his eyes and his skin too pale against the white cotton pillowcase. Gibbs sighed and pulled a chair up close to the bed.

Tony had an amazing capacity to avoid anything unpleasant he didn't want to deal with. What he couldn't deny or repress he would retreat to outrageous flirting, food and his considerable charm to keep others and especially himself from facing such things as grief, loss or the horrors of his job. And he was damn good at it, building a mask of a boyish, lecherous man until anyone looking at him thought that was all there was to Tony.

Gibbs knew better, he could see under the masks and shields to the man inside but he never called Tony on it. Instead he let Tony be, reeling him in only when the act became too much, because who was he to call Tony out when Gibbs himself did the same thing. And there were times when Gibbs was grateful for Tony's ability.

When Kate was killed, Gibbs was almost grateful for the self-deception Tony practised so well. It allowed Gibbs to focus completely on bringing Ari down and avenging Kate's death. Deep in the depths of his grief and guilt over Kate, Gibbs could look up to find Tony working hard to help him. Of Tony's own grief and loss over Kate, there was little sign except he was quieter than usual and there was a grim determination to him as he aided Gibbs.

It wasn't until Tony collapsed at NCIS two days after Kate's funeral that Gibbs was forced to confront what he'd been desperately trying to forget. Not only had he lost Kate within the last few months but Tony had nearly died on him as well. In fact, Tony had come back to work still too pale, tired too easily and with his clothes hanging off his body from the weight he'd lost.

Now he was sleeping in Gibbs' bed after being looked over by both Ducky and an emergency room doctor who politely told him Tony just needed to rest in order to regain his strength. Ducky had not been so polite, scolding him about pushing Tony too hard and forgetting how weak Tony still was. He didn't let Gibbs off until he'd wrung a promise out of him to look after Tony and make sure Tony got home safe with someone to look after him.

Gibbs had taken that order one step further and brought Tony home with him. It was a sign of how tired Tony was that he didn't protest, only followed Gibbs' orders and curled up to sleep in Gibbs' bed; leaving Gibbs alone with only his thoughts and everything he had pushed away over the last few months. Like how Kate's death ripped him apart but Tony's death would have been far more devastating. Or how Tony had some how wormed his way deeper inside of Gibbs than anyone had in a very long time.

Gibbs reached out and ran his fingers lightly thru Tony's hair. He didn't want to feel what he felt for Tony but he couldn't keep denying it was there. Now he had to decide what to do next about Tony.


End file.
